Rocket Riot

Students will learn the extensive preparation necessary for a rocket launch.

Objectives

Students will develop rocket building companies (groups of 3 or 4).

Students will design, draw to scale, and construct a bottle rocket.

With a budget of $1,000,000.00, each company will develop a budget and plans for a bottle rocket.

Students will identify rocket specifications and evaluate rocket stability by determining center of mass and center of pressure.

Students will use NASA's RocketModeler Version 1.2 rocket simulator to evaluate their rocket's flight. This is accomplished by taking accurate measurements of their rocket and entering these values into the simulator program.

Students will successfully launch their rockets for maximum height.

Students will develop a cost analysis and demonstrate the most economically efficient launch.

Procedure

Day 1- A request for proposals is given to students to develop a rocket, using materials from a specific list. Students form their companies, discuss design ideas, and make preliminary rocket sketches.

Day 2- Companies make their materials list and develop a budget.

Day 3- Companies begin buying materials and constructing their rockets.

Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Alternatives/Extensions

We have used a variety of flight objectives in the past which include hang-time (designing different recovery systems such as parachutes), payload protection (launching a raw egg), and accuracy (aiming at targets).

After observing all the rockets launched, teams could be given opportunities to make modifications and redesign their models.